Yellow Lorry Slow, Nowhere to go.

[fly on the wall]

Before we get started on this thread, here's a little appropriate background music:

You never give me your money
You only give me your funny paper
and in the middle of negotiations
you break down

I never give you my number
I only give you my situation
and in the middle of investigation
I break down

Out of college, money spent
See no future, pay no rent
All the money's gone, nowhere to go
Any job, I got the sack
Monday morning, turning back
Yellow lorry slow, nowhere to go
But oh, that magic feeling, nowhere to go
Oh, that magic feeling
Nowhere to go
Nowhere to go

Okay recently, very clumsily, I admitted that I've had a little financial trouble because of the "downturn" in the economy. So no one needs to hear about my sad story. What's yours? Have you been hurt in the housing debacle, the stock market crash, the credit crunch?

This is the place to tell us all about it. Or tell us about how you haven't been hurt at all. Or tell us about how you got smashed but you're bouncing back like the rest of the song goes:

One sweet dream
Pick up the bags and get in the limousine
Soon we'll be away from here
Step on the gas and wipe that tear away
One sweet dream came true... today
Came true... today
Came true... today...yes it did
One two three four five six seven,
All good children go to Heaven

We would really appreciate any information about how money problems damaged your marriage or relationship. We're not nosey, this is science. And I ought to know, I'm a pseudo-scientist.

[Paradox]

"Dope will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no dope" - Freewheelin' Franklin Freak

I'm well ahead of this game, but not in a good way. This economic crunch that's been hitting? It hit Michigan back in 2000-2001. All of you are just catching up, now. I barely have money for smokes, and then they hit us with another tax increase. More than doubled the price of the cheap "roll your own" tobacco I'd resorted to from poorness in the first place. I have to live in the ghetto because my roomies got married (not to each other) and I no longer have roommates to split bills with (boo-hoo. It's the Kalamazoo ghetto, so it's not as bad as it sounds).

But then, I've never had any money. Flows through my fingers like water, belying my Dutch-American origins. One thing, though. I've been broke so long I'm good at it. You learn to use resources wisely. Heh, if not for the breakfast food at my work, I might starve, though.

Broke broke ain't got no dough,
Broke broke ain't got no dough,

When you wake up in the mornin' cause you just can't sleep,
Ain't even even got enough to get somethin' to eat,
Landlord's knockin' on your front do',
to collect the back rent that you still owe...

[howyadoin]

Originally Posted by fly on the wall

Okay recently, very clumsily, I admitted that I've had a little financial trouble because of the "downturn" in the economy. So no one needs to hear about my sad story. What's yours? Have you been hurt in the housing debacle, the stock market crash, the credit crunch?

I'm pretty much fucked. Last year ended with $15,000 worth of work being cancelled, and 2009's been even worse. I'm barely staying afloat, my credit cards are maxed out (and they're ass-raping me on the interest, too), and I'm pretty sure I'm below the poverty line. Collection agencies are on my ass, and it could take me the rest of my life to dig out from under the debt I've got right now.

Good times, good times.

[o1pickleboy]

Originally Posted by howyadoin

I'm pretty much fucked. Last year ended with $15,000 worth of work being canceled, and 2009's been even worse. I'm barely staying afloat, my credit cards are maxed out (and they're ass-raping me on the interest, too), and I'm pretty sure I'm below the poverty line. Collection agencies are on my ass, and it could take me the rest of my life to dig out from under the debt I've got right now.

Good times, good times.

I here ya Bret. I have lost my job(maybe getting it back), any opportunity at living on my own was sucked dry a year ago. My 401k i gone. Even though I have no debt I have no asset either.

[Paradox]

Yeah. The only reason I'm not crazy asshole-over-teakettle in debt is that my credit rating's never been good enough for anyone to give me that much credit.

[o1pickleboy]

Originally Posted by Paradox

Yeah. The only reason I'm not crazy asshole-over-teakettle in debt is that my credit rating's never been good enough for anyone to give me that much credit.

i could of had a few, but didn't trust myself with them.

[fly on the wall]

Originally Posted by Paradox

"Dope will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no dope" - Freewheelin' Franklin Freak

I'm well ahead of this game, but not in a good way. This economic crunch that's been hitting? It hit Michigan back in 2000-2001. All of you are just catching up, now. I barely have money for smokes, and then they hit us with another tax increase. More than doubled the price of the cheap "roll your own" tobacco I'd resorted to from poorness in the first place. I have to live in the ghetto because my roomies got married (not to each other) and I no longer have roommates to split bills with (boo-hoo. It's the Kalamazoo ghetto, so it's not as bad as it sounds).

But then, I've never had any money. Flows through my fingers like water, belying my Dutch-American origins. One thing, though. I've been broke so long I'm good at it. You learn to use resources wisely. Heh, if not for the breakfast food at my work, I might starve, though.

Broke broke ain't got no dough,
Broke broke ain't got no dough,

When you wake up in the mornin' cause you just can't sleep,
Ain't even even got enough to get somethin' to eat,
Landlord's knockin' on your front do',
to collect the back rent that you still owe...

This is exactly the kind of post I was looking for. You describe your current lack of money like it was a great adventure. I think you have the right attitude, no cry-baby here despite all your "boo-hoo"-ing.

It was a little spooky you telling us how the economic crash hit Michigan so much earlier. Michigan was like some harbinger for the rest of the country. A lot of people are saying that the stock market will tank once again in the next year and then real estate will fall even lower. You turn on any of those right-wing radio shows and all they advertise is how to buy gold.

I'm afraid I'm like you, it took me a little longer but so much of my money flowed through my fingers like water. When it finally happened it happened quick.

But I feel better than I have for years because my mental state is not entirely determined by what is going on in the real world. I do miss the money, though.

I'm feeling much better. I can post again.

but should I?

Is it part of the problem?

[fly on the wall]

Originally Posted by howyadoin

I'm pretty much fucked. Last year ended with $15,000 worth of work being cancelled, and 2009's been even worse. I'm barely staying afloat, my credit cards are maxed out (and they're ass-raping me on the interest, too), and I'm pretty sure I'm below the poverty line. Collection agencies are on my ass, and it could take me the rest of my life to dig out from under the debt I've got right now.

Good times, good times.

howy, that sounds horrible. Is there any chance this could turn around? It's like it never ends. I'm having trouble, but not that bad.

I think you win the title of "King of the Thread", although Dox's entry was quite good. I'm sure this award will be a mighty solace to you.

[fly on the wall]

Originally Posted by Paradox

Yeah. The only reason I'm not crazy asshole-over-teakettle in debt is that my credit rating's never been good enough for anyone to give me that much credit.

Ah...

The Circle of Credit.

[howyadoin]

Originally Posted by fly on the wall

howy, that sounds horrible. Is there any chance this could turn around?

Well, the whole advertising industry just about went tits-up last fall. It hit Vancouver particularly hard because we'd been riding a real estate boom for several years, and that won't be bouncing back anytime soon from what I can see.

The other downside is, agencies all over town laid people off, and now there's a much bigger pool of people to compete with for freelance work. The whole game has changed - nobody's booking freelancers for more than a day or two at a time now, budgets are much smaller, and agencies are taking a lot longer to pay their bills, because their cashflows are suffering and also because they know they can get away with it now. In the past they didn't want to piss off freelancers because they'd get a bad reputation and nobody would work for them. Now that freelancers are desperate for work, it's the agencies who call the shots.

[Cei-U!]

I'm actually in better shape financially than I have been in over a decade. Of course in my case, "better shape" translates into "I have around $50 left over every month after paying my bills," out of which I have to buy everything that can't be classified as food, shelter or utilities. Alas, the comparitive security of being a Social Security and Medicare recipient is offset by the fact that I had to be a quadraplegic with degenerative osteoarthritis to qualify so don't rush to envy me.

Cei-U!
Probably just skewed the median... or something!